MANCHESTER United defender Rio Ferdinand has called on Roy Keane to perform a dramatic U-turn and stay on at Old Trafford.

Keane has declared his intention to leave United at the end of the season and depart the Premiership altogether.

However, Ferdinand, who was also linked with a move away from the Reds this summer before signing a new contract, believes the inspirational midfielder is too valuable to let go.

"I will be gutted if Roy does go because I would far rather he stayed at Old Trafford," he said.

One man who feels Keane may indeed decide to stay at is Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

While revealing that he expects to be moving on next summer, Keane did leave the door open for a change of heart if United want him to stay when saying: "If David Gill rings me tomorrow and offers me another year, then we'll see!

"But I'm not putting a gun to anybody's head and I've never gone looking for new contracts - I've always felt that's up to the club."

And Wenger feels that may have been a not-so-subtle message to the United board.

The Frenchman said: "He has played almost his whole career at United and I'm not yet convinced that he will leave."

Meanwhile, Keane's announcement that he is ready to quit took the club by surprise.

Assistant manager Carlos Queiroz has admitted that he and manager Sir Alex Ferguson had no idea that the 34-year-old skipper, in the final year of his contract, was going to tell the club's own television station MUTV that he may leave next summer.

The first Queiroz knew of the Keane bombshell was after it had been broadcast.

But the Portuguese coach says that there is no rush to sort out Keane's situation.